GRiD Creates National Pen Computer Sales Force; Dozens of Developers Attend GRiD Conference
SAN JOSE, Calif. — September 20, 1991 — GRiD Systems Corp. announced Friday that it has created a national sales organization dedicated to selling its GRiDPAD line of pen computers.
The announcement was made at a national GRiD-sponsored conference of pen-based software developers at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.
GRiD officials said the company has initially recruited and trained 25 sales representatives and more than a dozen systems engineers who will act as pen computer technical consultants to support its GRiDPAD sales efforts.
This is in addition to GRiD's nationwide sales organization of more than 500 people. The company expects its GRiDPAD sales organization to expand significantly as the emerging pen computer market grows. John Carson, a veteran GRiD sales manager, has been named national program manager of the new team.
Software developers writing applications for GRiD's pen computers attended the conference, including Hansen Software, FASTECH, Sales Technologies, Consortech, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), Digital Inspections and many others. Developers from Canada and Europe also attended.
''It is extremely gratifying to have more than 150 dedicated pen computer software developers from around the world participating in our conference and providing further proof of the pen computing market's vitality,'' said GRiD president D. Bruce Walter.
''This turnout also allows our dedicated GRiDPAD sales force to forge strong alliances with our GRiD Marketing Partners (GMPs).'' (GMPs are independent software vendors who have committed to developing applications for the GRiDPAD and GRiD's laptop and notebook products.)
More than 125 GRiD sales reps and GMPs spent five days attending workshops on GMPs applications, GRiDPAD hardware and software products, sales strategies and a mini tradeshow where attendees got hands-on experience with new GRiDPAD applications.
Among the applications demonstrated were surveying, patient evaluation, market research, mapping and dispatch programs. GRiDPAD peripheral vendors demonstrated their products, including a GRiDPAD battery charger that runs off of a car's cigarette lighter and charges the battery while the computer is running.
GRiD designs, manufactures, markets and services laptop, pen-based, desktop and multimedia computers, pen-based software development tools, electronic mail and networking systems. GRiD, with an extensive direct sales and support organization, demonstrates products at 45 GRiD Systems Centers and sells products through value-added resellers (VARs) and federal systems integrators.
GRiD is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, Calif. 94538. GRiD also has offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Belgium and Denmark.
GRiD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tandy Corp., Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and computers. A New York Stock Exchange company, Tandy has sales in excess of $4.5 billion annually.
Note to Editors: GRiDPAD is a registered trademark of GRiD Systems Corp.
CONTACT:
GRiD Systems, San Jose
Mike McGuire, 510/656-4700